Just Practicing
by whatariot
Summary: ""You are an idiot," Oliver Shaw said to his long-term friend and closest brother." Oliver has something to say. A one-shot.


_I thought this up and it was interfering with my other storyline so I figured I'd just write it out and see how it went. Post 2x13_

**I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>"You are an idiot," Oliver Shaw said putting down his beer and turning to his long-term friend and closest brother. "And I don't mean like 'Lovable 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure' idiot, I mean girl who goes into the basement during a power outage in a horror movie idiot," Shaw began leaning over the table where Sam had been sitting with his beer. "So idiotic that you almost want the worst to happen just so you can say 'Serves you right for being such an idiot', to that idiot in the movie."<p>

Sam just raised his eyebrows. Under his suspension he'd spent very little time at The Black Penny and with two officers off their shift, the crew at the fifteen had been slightly busier than normal. Contact had been minimal at best. On this Friday night however he figured it would be a good idea to show his face. His suspension ended the next Monday and touching base seemed like a good choice. It seemed like most of his friends had the same idea. They'd pulled up some tables and formed a small crowd. Jerry, Noelle, Traci, even Epstein and Diaz had all been filling him in on the goings on at the station. Dov and 'that bomb girl' seemed to be getting serious. Noelle's pregnancy was shared and celebrated quietly, though her relationship with Frank was not up for comment. Peck had been spending a lot of time with Luke, who still seemed depressed. Jerry happily told of his new, slam-dunk murder case. Oliver had been the last of the post-duty cops to arrive and after getting his beer and greeting the table he pulled up the chair next to Sam and here they were.

It was rare for Oliver to get worked up about anything not directly involving him, his family or his lunch, and Sam was a big boy, but it seemed he was just getting started on years of unresolved conflict. Oliver was so intent on his rant he hadn't noticed the attention he was getting from others in the bar. While part of Sam was embarrassed he figured he at least partially deserved this rant. The guy who pulled him out of the basement was allowed to yell at him for a bit. Beyond that though he felt a somewhat guilty twinge. He hadn't actually seen Oliver since the night of said basement rescue.

"I had been telling you for a year, an entire year, to say something to her. It's not like you were being stealth, buddy. Everyone knew you were completely head over heels for her, and I mean everyone. Even Jerry noticed and I've always thought he was a heck of a lot dumber than you."

An offended "Hey!" came from the left where Jerry had overheard that last comment.

Traci patted his arm. "There's nothing wrong with being the pretty one," She teased him, earning a glare.

"Noelle bet me you'd be found in a cruiser _in flagrante delicto_ with her last summer. Even Epstein tried to get in on the better action, albeit unsuccessfully. I told you after that concert shooting. Hell, I told you in the car. I told you before Vestibule. I told you after Vestibule. I told you that morning after she got engaged. Remember that? I must have told you ten times 'Engaged isn't married!'"

The last comment managed to catch Callaghan's attention over at the bar. He shot Sam a glare that could melt glass before returning to his hangdog expression and glass of gin. Gail quietly excused herself from her newly acquired seat to go console him. .

"I told you at the Laundromat fire where you gave me a lot of attitude for a guy about to wet himself with worry," Shaw added, remembering Sam's rather snippy replies to his suggestions. "Even Jo told you. Nice job making a friend there by the way," Oliver added and Noelle snorted earning a glare from Sam.

Noelle just shrugged. "He's not wrong," she said simply.

"I even had Zoe try to tell you after that, and you couldn't run away fast enough. We all saw you pine after her for weeks and then when Callaghan finally screwed it up for good; do you actually manage to make a move? No!"

Gail managed to catch that last bit from her seat next to Luke and decided now would be a good time to exit, paying his tab and dragging him out the door under the premise of a ride home.

"So we all get a month and a half of you prancing around the station like a peacock preening hoping she'll notice your plumage, bringing her coffee, and being charming without actually telling her anything. Then that kid gets kidnapped and that car burns and off you run to her without, once again, saying anything. Then, the absolute kicker, rather than just deal with it you went under. And you know the most idiotic part? She wasn't with Callaghan anymore and there was nothing standing in your way at all until you went under like a moron," Shaw continued.

The others at the table shifted somewhat uncomfortably. The events that obviously went down undercover were still the elephant in the room.

"Then through some miracle a.k.a. McNally actually getting information from you while the rest of us get grunts and hand gestures, she finds you and instead of doing the responsible thing, you decide that then is the ideal time to start a relationship while only giving her no contact information. The minute you saw her you should have gone to Boyd and pulled yourself out. Instead you nearly get yourself killed and you nearly get her killed," he said emphasizing the 'her' aspect. "She managed to put you first and throws herself on her sword to get you pulled but by that point you were already grabbed. Jerry had to carry her out of your apartment while Boyd screamed at her."

Sam felt his body tense as he thought of Boyd. There weren't enough apologies in the world for Boyd to ever makeup for what he'd done. Given the half-dozen messages on his voicemail it seemed Boyd was going to try.

"It's because of her we found you and then I had to drive with her all the way out to Pickering and tell her she couldn't come in case we found you dead on a pole. It's because of her you're alive and yet here you sit alone once again. I have to tell you Sam, I'm just tired of telling you the obvious all the time. If you haven't gotten up the courage to tell her how you feel after everything that's happened than you will never deserve her. She deserves someone who cares more about her than they do about their ego and their pride. She threw hers under a bus for you and will have a mark on her record for the rest of her career and you can't even..." Oliver cut himself off with a disgusted sigh. "I love you like you're my brother Sam, but if you can't get it together enough to get a hold of a girl who is not only brave, sweet and kind but crazy about you, than you are an even bigger idiot than I thought."

Sam sat stunned along with the rest of the table. He didn't think he'd ever heard Oliver speak to him like that. Oliver was honest but he had never ventured to candid speeches. The shock written across the table amplified when a second voice cut in.

"That the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me Oliver," Andy said with a light sniffle from behind them.

Oliver flushed, embarrassed. Zoe had warned him about getting too invested in his friend's love life.

Sam coughed slightly, standing and moving in to plant a soft kiss on her cheek. "How was your Dad?" he asked her sending a look to Oliver who looked shocked.

Andy sniffed again before answering, "He's good. The trip went well. He said thanks for helping him with the car last weekend. He wasn't sure it would hold up for the drive to Ottawa but you must have done a good job because the car ran great."

"Wait a second here, you fixed Tommy's car last weekend?" Oliver demanded.

"Yup," Sam said with a nod.

"And you just kissed her cheek?"

"Very good, Ollie," Sam replied somewhat amused by these observations.

"I should be very very embarrassed then, shouldn't I?" Oliver asked flushing further.

"Just a bit," Sam said helpfully, pulling in another chair from the next table over for Andy to sit.

"I mean it Oliver, that was a wonderful speech," Andy said reaching over and patting his arm.

Oliver muttered something akin to a "You're welcome" before taking his seat and taking a long sip of beer. "So this has been going on since...?" Oliver asked, the answer already evident in the question. They had never stopped.

"Yeah," Andy replied, a light blush on her cheeks.

"And how many people at this table already knew that?" Oliver asked as he began to do the math. Everyone at the table raised their hands as well as a few curious bar patrons who had been listening.

"If it makes you feel better, Jerry wouldn't have known unless I told him," Traci said helpfully taking a long drink of her wine. Jerry shot her a glare.

The rest of the evening continued with the typical banter and teasing, Andy and Sam bearing the brunt. At the end of the evening as they were all packing up to leave, Andy motioned to Sam who tossed her his keys, "Key in ignition and turn. The truck does not leave its space," he warned. She just laughed at him and continued her conversation while walking out the door with Tracy.

Everyone else in the group filed out until it was just Oliver and Sam left behind. Oliver opened his mouth to apologize but was quickly cut off by Sam. "You've obviously been taking lessons from McNally. You had your turn, it's mine now," he teased. "What you said, I did need to hear it. I know you don't understand my reasons, and looking back I'm not sure if I do either but I did have real reasons for not pursuing her like you said I should. But I did need to hear what you had to say and I'm glad you told me," he told his friend of more than a decade as they walked out the door.

Oliver nodded, happy his friend finally seemed to be happy at last. "Is it everything you hoped it would be?" Oliver teased in a falsetto.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I'll deny it if you tell anyone, but she's more. She's it for me, Ollie," he said seriously as they started down the front steps.

"Have you told her that?" Oliver asked curiously.

"No, and if you put that in another speech you plan on performing in front of the entire precinct and I are going to be matched together during retraining," Sam warned.

"Sammy," Oliver began once more.

"Ollie, I get it. It was all I thought about when Brennan had me in that... Look, I get it. I'm just trying to not scare her off. Let me ease her into a relationship it before you send out wedding invitations. Oliver raised his eyebrows at that slip. As they approached the truck Sam shot him a warning glance. "You mention the wedding invitations and I'll remember something Zoe should know," Sam added as incentive for Oliver to keep his mouth shut.

Andy was waiting outside of Sam's idling truck having recently said goodbye to Noelle and Traci. She practically hopped over to Oliver before pulling him into a hug, a semi-baffled Sam observing. "You're really a very nice man, Officer Shaw," Andy said with a smile. "I think your wife needs to hear of your good deeds," she added with a smile.

Oliver just shrugged, "I am merely a man of the people."

Andy laughed. "I didn't hear everything but what I did hear was the most I'd ever heard you say beyond your wet-paint speech," Andy teased back.

"Just practicing for my 'Best Man' toast," he replied with a grin and a jaunty wave leaving Sam rolling his eyes and Andy confused.

"Who's getting married?" Andy asked Sam curiously.

"Don't ask," Sam replied opening the passenger door and practically tossing her in.

Back in his car Oliver let out a satisfied sigh. With any luck Andy would call Zoe and he could bask in his rightness for few weeks. He could also really get to practicing for his Best Man speech. He knew it was coming and he absolutely hated public speaking.


End file.
